Toyota made a surprise new model announcement. We are talking about a significantly upgraded version of the immortal Land Cruiser 70 Series with a tastefully redesigned exterior, additional tech and safety features, and a new four-cylinder turbodiesel option that will be offered alongside the good-old V8.

The 2024 update is the fourth facelift for the Land Cruiser 70 Series which was originally introduced back in 1984, serving as a replacement for the ancient 40 Series. Despite the new Land Cruiser generations that appeared over the year, Toyota kept offering the tried-and-tested 70 Series in some markets around the world including Australia and South Africa, while keeping it relevant with frequent updates. The facelifted model will also make a return to its home market in Japan, after going off sale in 2015 due to not complying with safety regulations.

 

The 2024 Land Cruiser 70 Series gets a new face with round LED headlights embedded in the honeycomb grille, and protruding turn signals which echo the design of the original. The new bumper has cleaner lines but retains the unpainted plastic look, matching the fender extensions. In the profile, the new front fenders look more like the original 70 Series from 1984, than the previous facelift. At the back, Toyota blocked the original taillights with body-colored panels, using bumper-mounted units instead. As with its predecessors, the updated 70 Series will be available in Single Cab, Double Cab, Troop Carrier, and Wagon bodystyles. The SUV (Wagon) measures 4,890 mm long, 1,870 mm wide, and 1,920 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,730 mm. This makes it shorter than both the Land Cruiser 250 Series and the 300 Series.

Inside, the new instrument cluster features a 4.2-inch screen with retro graphics and the center console has been slightly revised. In Australia, all grades get a standard 6.7-inch touchscreen for the infotainment which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, entry-level JDM-spec models appear to come without the screen. Safety equipment has also been upgraded with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including lane departure alert, road sign assist, auto high beams, and more. The 70 Series is still based on the original ladder frame chassis but Toyota engineers improved the on-road comfort without sacrificing the off-road credentials.

 

Big changes hide under the bonnet, with the new option of the 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel (1GD-FTV) that produces 201 hp and 500 Nm of torque as in the 250 Series. The automaker claims that the updated powertrain combines improved fuel efficiency with reliability, low noise, and great off-road performance. The mill is mated to a 6-speed Super ECT automatic gearbox, sending power to all four wheels through the 4WD system. The good-old 4.5-liter V8 turbodiesel with 202 hp and 430 Nm of torque remains available for all bodystyle flavors, exclusively mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Comparing the two powertrain options, the larger V8 produces 1 hp more but has 70 Nm less compared to the newer four-cylinder mill.

The 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series will be available in Japan in the coming winter, after its arrival in Australian showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2023. Local pricing and potential details about its availability to other markets will be announced at a later date.